NCJ Number
104487
Date Published
1987
Length
147 pages
Annotation
This examination of the impact of citizen action on crime and the fear of crime uses citizen and police data collected in 1983 and 1984.
Abstract
During this period, the Guardian Angels, a controversial and highly visible citizen action group withdrew and reintroduced either normal or intensive patrols in selected sections of the New York subway system. Onsite interviews also were conducted with 2,700 nighttime subway riders to ascertain their extent of prior victimization, fear of crime, and attitudes toward the Guardian Angels. Results indicate that, contrary to public expectations, crime on the city's subway was remarkably low. Fear of crime among riders was found to be relatively high, but not exceptional when compared to fear of crime previously found in above-ground settings. Moreover, comparisons of areas having no, normal, or intensive patrols indicated that the Guardian Angels had no apparent effect on crime rates or on overall fear of crime, nor did patrols increase the willingness of passengers to help one another. 21 tables, 6 figures, 97 references, and index. (Publisher abstract modified)